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Echoes of Revelation
Revelation never quotes the Old Testament outright, yet no New Testament book refers to it more. See both texts side by side, why they don’t match, and what John does with them.
Revelation 5:2, who is worthy to open the book
The angel's question about opening the book recalls the court of Daniel 7, where the judgment sat and the books were opened.
Revelation 5:2; Revelation 5:3, in every translation this tool compares.
When a judge says the court will open the file, everyone knows the hearing has begun. A mighty angel asks who has the right to open the book and break its seals. In Daniel's vision of God's court, the judges sat down and the books were opened. John's question takes that moment and asks who has the right to do the opening.
The opening of books in God's court. The Greek of Daniel 7:10 has bibloi eneochthesan, books were opened. Revelation 5:2 has anoixai to biblion, to open the book, the same verb with a single book.
In Daniel the books are simply opened, and no one asks who may do it. John turns the moment into a question and a crisis: no one anywhere, above, on or below the earth, is able. Daniel has many books; John has one. And John's book is sealed, which Daniel 7 does not say.
The question shows that no created being has the right to carry out God's plan of judgment and redemption. That makes the answer in 5:5 and 5:9 stand out: the slain Lamb is worthy. The court of Daniel 7 is in session, and Christ alone may open its book.
Not proof that the books of Daniel 7 and the scroll are the same. Daniel's books record deeds for judgment; Beale reads John's scroll as God's plan. The link is the court scene and the act of opening.
Beale says the image of opened books from Daniel 7:10 comes into focus in 5:2b, comparing anoixai to biblion with Theodotion's bibloi eneochthesan; Revelation 20:12 uses the same Daniel text clearly. The verb lysai (to loose) the seals draws more from Daniel 12, where the textual tradition links lysis (unloosing) and sealing. The open book of Daniel 7 continues to hover in 5:3, with Isaiah 29:11-12. In his outline, books opened is element eight of the fourteen shared with Daniel 7. Walton notes that royal courts kept records of deeds, which in Daniel 7:10 are brought out as evidence against the beast. The grade is drawn here: the verb and the court setting match, within the Daniel 7 frame.
Heiser lists the court that sat and the books that were opened among the signs that Daniel 7 is a courtroom scene behind Revelation 4 and 5. Reading Aune, he notes that Daniel 7 has only books being opened; the sealed scroll is brought in from Ezekiel 2.
Beale makes Daniel 7:10 the leading influence on the book because it has cosmic reach. Aune, as Heiser reads him, says the sealed scroll does not come from Daniel 7 but from Ezekiel 2, with Daniel supplying only the opened books.
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- G. K. Beale, The Book of Revelation (New International Greek Testament Commentary), comment on 5:2, The Book, and on 5:3
- John H. Walton, Victor H. Matthews and Mark W. Chavalas, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament, on Daniel 7:10
- Septuagint, Daniel 7:10, Interlinear Greek-English Septuagint
- SBL Greek New Testament (MorphGNT), Revelation 5:2
- Michael S. Heiser, Revelation 4: The Throne Room of Heaven, video lecture (Naked Bible Revelation series)
- Michael S. Heiser, Revelation 5: The Scroll and the Lamb Who Is Worthy, video lecture (Naked Bible Revelation series)
